


Shallow

by DrayPotter_TFLS (DrayOakenshield)



Series: Shallow [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Emotional Hurt, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Battle of Hogwarts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-10-19 05:42:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20652131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrayOakenshield/pseuds/DrayPotter_TFLS
Summary: After the war Hermione feels lost in the aftermath. When an unexpected person steps forward to help her how will her life change?





	Shallow

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my lovely beta K for reading through this for me.
> 
> This was written for Sing Me A Rare: the Soundtracks. I wrote for [Shallow from A Star Is Born](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo_efYhYU2A).

Hermione woke up to Ron roughly shaking her shoulder.

“Merlin, Hermione! What's a bloke got to do to get some sleep?” He grumbled as he flopped back into the bed next to her. 

Once the room came into focus, and Hermione was sure she wasn’t on the floor of Malfoy Manor again, she got angry. When Ron had kissed her at the final battle she thought things were going to be different between them. But in the month that followed things had gone back to how they had been sixth year before they went on the run, the only difference was the added lackluster sex. “Oh I don’t know Ronald. How about give a shite about someone other than yourself? Maybe spend more time here with me, instead of out at the Leaky or Madame Rosmerta’s telling your war stories again and again.”

“I don’t want to be here! You’re the one who wanted to stay in the castle while you help repair it. If I had my way, I’d never set eyes on this place again!” Ron all but shouted, apparently as eager for this fight as she was.

Hermione threw her hands up in frustration. “Where else could we go?! The Burrow was burned down, Shell Cottage is overflowing with people, and Grimmauld Place is crawling with dark magic.”

“And Slytherins.” Ron huffed. “Not like I’d want to stay in the same house as them even if it wasn’t crawling with dark magic.”

Rolling her eyes, Hermione ignored that slight dig at Harry’s new boyfriend. Yes, she had been slightly stunned when Harry pulled her aside two weeks into the rebuilding and unloaded on her about how he might be gay. Once she got him to breathe, he admitted he had been eyeing a particular Slytherin for a while before they had gone on the Horcrux hunt and now that Slytherin was here helping with the post-war rebuilding. Two days after the meltdown and getting reassured that she would think no less of him if he gave said Slytherin a chance, Hermione found Harry and Blaise sitting together in a quiet nook holding hands after dinner.

“Oh, don’t act like it doesn’t bother you that Harry is with some bloke instead of my sister!” Ron snapped when he saw Hermione drift into thought.

“I’m not acting like anything, Ron. It really doesn’t bother me because it makes Harry happy,” Hermione said exasperatedly. This was a fight they had had before, lately, if the pair weren’t bickering about their relationship they were fighting about Harry’s. “Look, I’m done fighting with you, Ron. You obviously don’t want to be with me so leave if that’s what you want. But don’t be surprised if I don’t wait around for you to realize what you lost.

Ron stared at Hermione looking stunned for a moment. Usually the pair argued, had sex, and then considered it done. “What do you mean? Why can’t we work it out like we always do?”

Snorting, Hermione laid back down and tugged the blanket up to her shoulders. “Because I’m done, Ron. I’m tired of the bickering and bad sex. I’m tired of coming in second place to you playing the hero. I’m tired of you not wanting this as much as I do.”

After staring at Hermione for another moment, Ron huffed in annoyance before rolling out of bed and grabbing his things. She’d come crawling back after a good night sleep, he was sure of it.

~~

Two days later, Charlie stumbled across Hermione sitting on the floor surrounded by piles of books crying silently. “Alright I know the damage is bad, but it’s not worth shedding tears over,” he joked lightly as he lowered himself down next to her.

Hermione gave him a weak smile as she rubbed away the tears. “I’m not crying over the books, not exactly.”

“Want to tell me what you are crying over so I can give you the wisdom of my much older years and magically make it better?” Charlie offered with a slight smile. He’d never really talked to his youngest brother’s best friend before, but he’d noticed Hermione had been alone an awful lot lately and he knew his mum would flay him if he didn’t do something to try and make her feel better.

“It’s just been a lot to deal with. The aftermath of the war, the destruction of everything — every day it seems like we find more to do.” Hermione explained dejectedly, dancing around the real reason she was so upset. 

Charlie lowered himself on the floor so he could look her in the eyes. “What else? You’re not telling me something.” 

Sighing, Hermione avoided his gaze. “I broke up with Ron,” she mumbled, worried that the elder Weasley would react badly to the news.

Charlie took a moment to find his balance before he grinned crookedly at Hermione, looking almost like one of the twins when they were about to get up to mischief. “Good, he didn’t deserve you if I’m being honest. He needs to grow up before he starts a serious relationship.”

“You’re not upset with me?” Hermione asked, her eyes snapping up to catch Charlie’s, surprised.

“For doing what’s best for you in the world you fought for?” Charlie asked, looking at Hermione like she was one of the creatures Luna was always spouting off about. “Never, Hermione, and I can guarantee mum will say the same thing. Even if you aren’t with ickle Ronnie, you’re still family to us.”

Trying not to burst into tears again, Hermione lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Charlie’s neck, hugging him tight.

Charlie squeezed Hermione back just as tightly. When she loosened her grip and sat back to wipe her eyes Charlie had an idea. “Who do you report to on this project?”

“The library? No one, Professor McGonagall gave it to me and offered to find me help, but I wanted to do it alone.” Hermione explained, trying to figure out why Charlie was asking.

“And I’m guessing you are ahead of where she expected you to be at this point?”

Hermione nodded sheepishly as she glanced at the neatly stacked and sorted books scattered around the room. “I’m about a week and a half ahead of schedule if I’m honest. Professor McGonagall has really let me do my own thing here and I’ve kind of let myself get lost in the work, probably more than I should have.”

“Well, let’s fix that. Where are you staying?” Charlie asked, pushing himself to his feet before holding a hand out for Hermione. 

Eyeing him curiously, Hermione contemplated her options before she decided to see what would happen if she threw caution to the wind just this once and took the offered hand. “I’m staying in one of the unused classrooms on the seventh floor that Professor McGonagall converted to living spaces for the people helping to restore Hogwarts.

Charlie nodded and led Hermione out of the library towards the nearest staircase. “Go grab everything you could need for a week and meet me in the entrance hall in fifteen minutes.”

“Where are you taking me?” Hermione asked, pausing on the first step to turn and look at him.

“You’ll see,” Charlie promised with a roguish wink before he turned on his heel and disappeared down the hall towards the Headmaster’s office.

Shaking her head, Hermione watched his retreating back for a moment before darting up the stairs to her room to grab her beaded bag; she still kept most of her belongings packed in it at all times. Ten minutes later, she was walking down the stairs to the entrance hall when her elbow was grabbed from behind. 

“Early, just as I expected. Minerva said a week isn’t long enough and I’m to keep you off campus for at least two so the builders can assemble the new shelves in the library,” Charlie told her with what Hermione was realizing was his trademark grin. “So we are going into my cabin in the mountains of Romania and taking a good long break from the world.”

Hermione couldn’t help but laugh at his exuberance. Honestly, as much as she was enjoying the work she was doing at Hogwarts, the break sounded like a wonderful idea. Throwing caution to the wind, she took Charlie’s hand and let him whisk them away, silently thanking Merlin the anti-apparition wards were still down to let the workers come and go as they pleased. 

“Welcome to Romania,” Charlie said as the world settled around them. “It’s not much, but it’s home.”

Slowly Hermione spun around to take in the area around them. The small cabin was nestled in the base of two mountains, fit for a Muggle greeting card if you added a bit of snow, and spread out in front of it was a picturesque lake complete with a dock that had a canoe tied to it. “It’s gorgeous, Charlie! You never should have brought me here because now you might not get rid of me!”

Charlie chuckled and grabbed her hand again to tug her towards his cabin. “You say that like it would be a bad thing. Maybe hiding out here for a few months would be good for you.”

“Charles Edward Weasley! Are you threatening to kidnap me?” Hermione exclaimed, trying to act offended instead of amused.

Pausing on the steps of the cabin, Charlie pretended to think about it for a second before grinning at Hermione. “You know, I believe I am. Now let’s get inside and figure out dinner!”

Three hours later, Charlie walked quietly down the dock to sit next to Hermione. She had been perched on the end of the dock with her arms wrapped around her knees, staring out at the water since they had finished dinner nearly an hour ago. He had waited to see if she would come out of her funk on her own but, when it appeared that she was sinking in deeper, he decided enough was enough. He had brought her here to forget the world for a bit. “Hey, Mione, what’s got your wand in a knot?”

“Oh, just thinking.” Hermione mumbled absently, not relaxing her posture any.

Charlie bumped her shoulder lightly with his own. “You know, when it gets dark and the nightmares get bad, sometimes I fear myself. I remember what I did, what I caused, and I wonder why anyone would still want to be around me.”

Nodding her agreement, Hermione finally released her grip on her knees, shifting so her feet were hanging off the dock and dangling just above the water. “Don’t you get tired of trying to fill the void the war left? Of trying to act like none of it affected us?”

“Every day,” Charlie said bluntly. “That’s what I fought for, though, the chance to change the world and to make it more than it was, better than it was. Now we’ve just got to figure out how to live in the world we created.”

Hermione nodded sadly and leaned over to rest her head on Charlie’s shoulder. He was right, they had done this for change and, now that it was over, they didn’t know where they fit into the new world. Maybe they would be able to figure it out together, leaning on each other.

Smiling softly, Charlie wrapped an arm around Hermione’s shoulder and hugged the younger girl close, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her unruly curls. It wasn’t the whole story but it was a start and, maybe with a few more evenings together, they could find the courage to go off the deep end together and really find the root of their problems. And maybe, something new would rise from the ashes.


End file.
